A tense peace reigned over the Ecuadorian capital and surrounding towns Saturday after a state of emergency was declared by President Lucio Gutierrez in an attempt to resolve an escalating political crisis. There have been no arrests so far, security forces reported, but the ban on demonstrations and gatherings would be enforced if necessary. Several anti-government radio stations have nonetheless called for further rallies and a campaign of civil disobedience. Gutierrez had made the surprise move of restricting civil liberties and dissolving the supreme court late Friday evening. In a televised address, Gutierrez was joined by the military high command and Minister of Government Oscar Ayerve, who also signed the state of emergency decree. There was no indication when the state of emergency would be lifted. The decision to dissolve the supreme court baffled both the president's opponents and supporters as he had chosen the judges himself in December and used his parliamentary majority to install them. Tens of thousands of protestors stopped their demonstration when they realized that Gutierrez had unexpectedly done exactly what they were calling for. --More 2311 Local Time 2011 GMT
